June 4, 2011

So how did this happen? How did Lillibridge turn into the Lilli-Hammer or the Lilli-Hurt? Let’s start with his hitting, and the coach who he credits for helping turn his career around: Greg Walker.“If it wasn’t for Walk, I don’t think I’d be where I’m at,” Lillibridge explains. “Two years ago, after my first year when I was hitting .158, and I was just lost, mechanically more than anything, he said, ‘Let’s work on things in the off-season,’ and we totally redid my swing to get a feel for what was right. Now it’s been a 2-3 year process and it’s come to fruition.”
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Remember the Lillibridge of old, who used to stand in the box looking like he was playing wiffleball, swinging (and often missing) for the fences?

“I’ve always been told that since I was in college.”

He’s not missing so much anymore. But is there some truth to it?

“It’s just my mentality. I want to hit the ball hard,” Lillibridge said. “I’m not trying to hit the ball over the fence, I just don’t want to cheat myself. When my swing is right, I can swing hard and still be under control, hitting to right field, center field. But when things are off, and you’re swinging at the ball hard, you’re not going to be able to do anything with it.”

“I know how the season has gone from the beginning with him,” White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said on the Mully and Hanley Show. “There’s been some tough luck and there’s been some inconsistent pitches and tough luck involved in there, you know. But he’s physically throwing the ball well, I just want him to get ultra aggressive, early in the count, attacking the zone.“My pet peeve is I see too many balls early in the count. You know, Matt’s success is attacking early, attacking late, and he hasn’t been attacking early to dictate who’s boss. There’s been too many balls and walks.”

Audio at the link. And Sale should get the same lecture. If he had issued less walks tonight, Crain wouldn’t have to face Miguel Cabrera.

Humber’s two best pitches this season have been his 12-6 curveball and his straight changeup. Since entering the rotation, he’s thrown his curveball on 24.6 percent of pitches; his changeup, 22.1 percent. Humber’s effectiveness with his curveball has been key in his turnaround, as it’s gone from a good to a great pitch. …